Clinton's New Book Angering Some Democrats

Several Democratic lawmakers and operatives have voiced concern that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton could reopen wounds within the party with the release of "What Happened," her new memoir reflecting on the 2016 presidential election.

Clinton's book is slated to hit shelves on Sept. 12. Leaked excerpts have indicated that the former Democratic nominee will dish out some criticism for former President Barack Obama, former Vice President Joe Biden and independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, her main opponent during the Democratic primary.

ADVERTISEMENT

Thanks for watching!

"Because we agreed on so much, Bernie couldn't make an argument against me in this area on policy, so he had to resort to innuendo and impugning my character," Clinton wrote, according to Vox. "Some of his supporters, the so-called Bernie Bros, took to harassing my supporters online. It got ugly and more than a little sexist."

Clinton added that she believed Sanders entered the presidential race "to disrupt the Democratic Party ... I am proud to be a Democrat and I wish Bernie were, too."

ADVERTISEMENT

Thanks for watching!

ADVERTISEMENT

Thanks for watching!

The book's content and timing has left several Democrats furious.

"None of this is good for the party," a former Obama aide told The Hill. "It's the Hillary Show, 100 percent. A lot of us scratching our heads and wondering what she's trying to do. It's certainly not helpful."

Democratic Rep. Jared Huffman of North Carolina asserted that Clinton was damaging the prospects of a unified Democratic Party heading into the 2018 midterm elections.

"Maybe at the worst possible time, as we are fighting some of the most high-stakes policy and institutional battles we may ever see, at a time when we're trying to bring the party together so we can all move the party forward -- stronger, stronger together," Huffman told Politico.

A former Clinton campaign surrogate who requested anonymity had the harshest words for the former Democratic nominee.

"The best thing she could do is disappear," the former surrogate said. "She's doing harm to all of us because of her own selfishness. Honestly, I wish she'd just shut the f**k up and go away."

Meanwhile, several Democrats believed that Clinton had every right to provide her take on the 2016 election.

"It's a very healthy conversation to have, and it's important to put the internal party issues in perspective," said Robert Zimmerman of the Democratic National Committee. "If we're going to move forward as a party, and if we're going to move forward as a country, Hillary Clinton's experiences, her insight, is essential."

"She's got every right to tell her story," Huffman said. "Who am I to say she shouldn't, or how she should tell it? But it is difficult for some of us, even like myself who've supported her, to play out all these media cycles about the blame game, and the excuses."

Democratic strategist Steve McMahon concluded: "This was a heartfelt loss for her and the pain is unimaginable, and I'm sure this book is cathartic."